The Reckoning: A Novel

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “An original, gripping, penetrating novel . . . Grisham is not only the master of suspense but also an acute observer of the human condition.”—David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager October 1946, Clanton, Mississippi Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son—a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning he rose early, drove into town, and committed a shocking crime. Pete’s only statement about it—to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, to the jury, and to his family—was: “I have nothing to say.” He was not afraid of death and was willing to take his motive to the grave. In The Reckoning, John Grisham takes us on an incredible journey, from the Jim Crow South to the jungles of the Philippines during World War II, from an insane asylum filled with secrets to the Clanton courtroom where Pete’s defense attorney tries desperately to save him. Reminiscent of the finest Southern Gothic storytelling and layered with Grisham’s signature legal suspense, The Reckoning delivers on every page.

About the Author :
John Grisham is the author of numerous #1 bestsellers, including The Firm, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Innocent Man, The Whistler, The Boys from Biloxi, and many more. His books have been translated into nearly fifty languages. Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system. He lives on a farm in central Virginia.

Review :
“A murder mystery, a courtroom drama, a family saga. . . . The Reckoning is Grisham’s argument that he’s not just a boilerplate thriller writer. Most jurors will think the counselor has made his case.”—USA Today “Cleverly subversive . . . Grisham continues the rich literary tradition of Southern authors confronting a culture of white supremacy.”—The Washington Post “The quest for justice is only the beginning in this Southern-family saga . . . Grisham does so much more this time around.”—Associated Press “John Grisham is not only the master of suspense but also an acute observer of the human condition. And these remarkable skills converge in The Reckoning—an original, gripping, penetrating novel that may be his greatest work yet.”—David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager “John Grisham is the master of legal fiction, and his latest starts with a literal bang—and then travels backward through the horrors of war to explore what makes a hero, what makes a villain, and how thin the line between the two might be.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and By Any Other Name “In this saga of love and war, John Grisham has given us a sprawling and engrossing story about a Southern family, a global conflict, and the kinds of secrets that can shape all of us. From the courtrooms and jails of rural Mississippi to the war-torn Pacific, Grisham spins a tale that is at once entertaining and illuminating.”—Jon Meacham, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Soul of America “When a master of storytelling and suspense takes on one of the most wrenching stories in history, the result is a book that will break your heart, set your blood pumping and your mind racing, and leave you gasping for breath by the final page. I’m still trying to recover from The Reckoning.”—Candice Millard, New York Times bestselling author of The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic